Light or lewd women.

–From the 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

Merriam-Webster

Shrew

1811 Vulgar Tongue

A hagged old woman; a miserable, scraggy, worn-out harlot, fit to take her bawd’s degree: derived from the French word HARIDELLE, a worn-out jade of a horse or mare.

1811 Vulgar Tongue

A wench. A prime article. A handsome girl. She’s a prime article (whip slang), she’s a devilish good piece, a hell of a goer.

Merriam-Webster

A thing of a particular and distinctive kind
.

Additionally…

That construction worker who whistles at you thinks you are a prime article.

1811 Vulgar Tongue

A female procuress.

Additional information

Same as an abbess, a bawd was the head of the local house of ill repute.

The last of the naughty Regency women WotD…at least for now!

Merriam-Webster

Prostitute

Additional information

Some romance novels reference a Cyprian’s Ball where the ladies of the night gather with the eligible men of society, who vie to offer them sponsorship (carte blanche to be discussed in a future WotD post). An innocent heroine may end up at the Cyprian’s Ball on accident (or to catch a villain, research, etc.) and be born away at the end of the night in the arms of the hero. A naughtier heroine might bear the hero away instead.

Merriam-Webster

A class of women on the fringes of respectable society supported by wealthy lovers.
demimondaine (demi-mondaine): a woman of the demimonde

Additional information

Courtesans were part of the demimonde.

Merriam-Webster

A prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele

Additional information

Courtesans had their own society on the fringes of London society where they mixed with the best of the best. The best of the best MEN, of course — or women with very fast reputations.

The heroine of Masquerading the Marquess masqueraded as a courtesan.

Merriam-Webster

Floozy : Prostitute : Mistress

1811 Vulgar Tongue

Not directly listed, but referenced in other words to mean exactly the same as the M-W definition above.
rum doxy — A fine wench.

Additional Information

Mostly used for the more common variety floozy. Often used in reference to tavern wenches, women in dockside bars, etc.

Merriam-Webster

A woman having intellectual or literary interests. Etymology: Bluestocking society, 18th century literary clubs.

Wikipedia

The Bluestocking society was an informal women’s social and educational movement that came into being in England in the mid-eighteenth century in imitation of a similar - though more formal - movement in France.

Additional info

Many romance novel heroines are bluestockings. Other members of society may look down on them for this decidedly unfashionable trait, but not the hero.

Merriam-Webster

A widow holding property or a title from her deceased husband : a dignified elderly woman.

Wiktionary

Any lady of dignified bearing.
(Also had the same definition as M-W above)

Additional info

Dowagers in romance novels are often depicted as formidable women, either as the widowed mother or aunt of the hero or a particularly powerful woman in society. A reader may also run into the term “dower house.” Wikipedia defines this as, “A dower house is usually a moderately large house on an estate which is occupied by the widow of the late owner. The widow, often known as the “dowager” usually moves into the dower house, from the larger family house, on the death of her husband, the new heir occupies the now vacated principal house.”